{"id":"F2018L00924","name":"Social Security (Specified Class of Persons in Australia in Specified Circumstances—Health Care Card) Declaration 2018","slug":"f2018l00924","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":318011,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2018L00924-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-08","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Social Security (Specified Class of Persons in Australia in Specified Circumstances—Health Care Card) Declaration 2018","content":"![](image.001.png)\n\nSocial Security (Specified Class of Persons in Australia in Specified Circumstances—Health Care Card) Declaration 2018\n\nI, Dan Tehan, Minister for Social Services, make this declaration under subsection 1061ZO(7) of the Social Security Act 1991.\n\nDated 27 June 2018.\n\nDan Tehan\n\nMinister for Social Services\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nPart 1 Preliminary\n\n1. Name of declaration\n\nThis declaration is the Social Security (Specified Class of Persons in Australia in Specified Circumstances—Health Care Card) Declaration 2018 (the declaration).\n\n2. Commencement\n\n (1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.\n\n```html\n

Commencement information

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Provisions

Commencement

Date/Details

1. The whole of this instrument

1 April 2017

\n```\n\n> Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.\n\n (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.\n\n3. Authority\n\nThis declaration is made under subsection 1061ZO(7) of the Social Security Act 1991.\n\n4. Interpretation\n\nAct means the Social Security Act 1991;\n\nHealth care card income test has the meaning given by section 1071A of the Act.\n\n \n\nPart 2 Specified class of persons in Australia in specified circumstances\n\n5. Qualification for a health care card\n\n(1) A person who is the holder of any of a:\n\n(a) subclass 060 (Bridging F) visa;\n\n(b) subclass 070 (Bridging (Removal Pending)) visa;\n\n(c) subclass 309 (Partner (Provisional)) visa;\n\n(d) subclass 449 (Humanitarian Stay (Temporary)) visa;\n\n(e) subclass 785 (Temporary Protection) visa;\n\n(f) subclass 786 ((Temporary) Humanitarian Concern) visa;\n\n(g) subclass 790 (Safe Haven Enterprise) visa;\n\n(h) subclass 820 (Partner) visa; and\n\n(2) satisfies the health care card income test; and\n\n(3) is, or has been, in Australia as the holder of a relevant visa\n\nis declared to be a person to whom section 1061ZO of the Act applies.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The declaration exercises the delegated power in s1061ZO(7) to specify a class of persons eligible for a Health Care Card. The instrument limits scope to named visa subclasses subject to the Health care card income test and includes a commencement date (1 April 2017). The text contains no indication it departs from or expands beyond the statutory power it invokes."},"complexity_factors":["Delegated decision: uses ministerial power under subsection 1061ZO(7) to declare eligible classes (administrative discretion).","Cross‑references to the Act: relies on the Health care card income test definition in section 1071A, requiring cross‑statutory interpretation.","Enumerated visa list: eligibility turns on holding any of several specific visa subclasses (s5(1)(a)–(h)), creating categorical rules that must be checked case‑by‑case.","Temporal phrase: requirement that the person \"is, or has been, in Australia as the holder of a relevant visa\" (s5(3)) may raise retrospective or timing questions for administrators.","Commencement/backdating: the instrument declares commencement as 1 April 2017, which can create retrospective application and administrative reconciliation tasks (Commencement table).","Compliance/admin burden: applicants must satisfy income test and visa status; agencies must verify visa subclass and timing, increasing verification workload."],"plain_english_summary":"This Ministerial declaration (made under s1061ZO(7) of the Social Security Act 1991) says that people who hold any of a listed visa subclass, meet the Health Care Card income test (see s1071A), and are or have been in Australia on a relevant visa are to be treated as eligible for a Health Care Card. It matters because the Minister’s declaration brings a defined non‑citizen group within the Act’s card entitlement rules, creating an administrative and fiscal obligation for government and an income‑test compliance requirement for applicants."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The declaration performs exactly the function described in its title and empowering provision: specifying particular temporary visa holders for Health Care Card access. No scope creep detected."},"complexity_factors":["Very short instrument (only 5 sections)","Only 2 defined terms ('Act' and 'health care card income test')","Simple list structure for visa subclasses with no nested conditions","No cross-references beyond the empowering provision (s 1061ZO(7))","Single operative provision (section 5) with straightforward cumulative requirements"],"plain_english_summary":"This declaration allows certain temporary visa holders in Australia to get a **Health Care Card** — a concession card that gives cheaper medicines and some other health discounts.\n\n**Who qualifies?**\nPeople holding specific temporary visas, including:\n- Bridging visas (subclasses 060 and 070)\n- Partner visas (subclasses 309 and 820)\n- Humanitarian and protection visas (subclasses 449, 785, 786, and 790)\n\n**What they need to do:**\n- Pass the **health care card income test** (meaning their income must be low enough)\n- Actually be in Australia on one of these visas\n\n**Why this matters:**\nNormally, Health Care Cards are only for Australian citizens, permanent residents, or certain other protected categories. This declaration extends access to people on temporary visas who might otherwise struggle to afford healthcare — particularly those in the asylum seeker, humanitarian, and partner visa streams who may be waiting years for permanent status."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/f2018l00924","history":"/api/acts/f2018l00924/history","analysis":"/api/acts/f2018l00924/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/f2018l00924/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/f2018l00924/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/f2018l00924/documents"}}